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THIRD STHAAN
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INTRODUCTION
In the Third Sthaan or Place Number Three there is a compilation of various topics related to number three. It contains interesting and thought provoking information on numerous subjects such asspiritualism, metaphysics, heaven and hell, matter, ascetic conduct, desires of a layman, ethics, literature, science and psychology. This section also contains ancient beliefs related to nature. For example--three causes each of low and high rainfall. Politics has been discussed in the form of triads of dharma-arth-kaam (religioneconomics-sex) and saam-dand-bhed (conciliation-punishment-guile). 4 In the topics related to psychology there is interesting description of human nature, attitude and vagaries; for example there are three types of humans-sumanask (good-natured), durmanask (badnatured) and tatasth (impartial) (aphorism 188). Some people are happy to give namely the charitable; some are 55 unhappy to give viz the stingy and some avoid both, the apathetic (aphorism 237). Some people experience happiness in eating (those who eat nutritious food and avoid over eating), some experience misery in eating (those who eat whatever comes their way just to satiate their si taste buds) and some remain impartial (the spiritualists). There are some profound aphorisms with apt comments on religion, politics and history. An example is-some persons are happy after a war (a king with territorial ambitions), some people are sad (repentant) after a war (like a loser in war or Emperor Ashoka after the Kalinga war) and some are neither happy nor sad (like a paid soldier or mercenary) (aphorism 267). This way this third place has a collection of beautiful and varied triads on hundreds of topics including animals, birds, nature, mendicants, religion etc. This third place has four lessons.
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PITTHET (S)
(172)
Sthaananga Sutra (1)
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